Originally Antoni Patek started making pocket watches. It was then in 1845 he joined force with French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding mechanism, and together they founded the Patek Philippe brand. Since then Patek Philippe is known for popularising the perpetual calendar, split seconds hand, chronograph and minute repeater in watches. Proudly, Patek Philippe have their own research and development department, where the individual parts of the movements and cases are produced, finished and assembled in-house.

On November 12, 2016, the Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 in steel took the title as the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. Sold through Phillips Geneva auction house, the piece finally sold for 9,600,000 CHF (11,002,000 CHF including seller’s fees).